The Real Jimmy Palmer
by imaGingerDetective
Summary: Harry was tired of the Wizarding World. So, he got a proper education and shipped off to the States to work with NCIS under a new name, Jimmy Palmer.
1. Split Decision

All Harry Potter wanted was to be normal. He hated the spotlight, and it seemed that it was where he was destined to stay. After the fight for Hogwarts, Harry wanted to settle down and maybe finish his last year of school. Instead he did what everyone expected of him and joined the Aurors in their fight against what remained of the Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers.

But he had had enough fighting. Since age 11 that was all his life had been. After three years and more scars he quit and began pursing something that he wanted for himself, and not what everyone else wanted for him. Returning to Hogwarts, he began an apprenticeship under Madam Pomfrey to learn Healing. He already had a basic understanding of Healing due to his numerous trips to the Hospital Wing.

When he had learned everything he could, he went to work at St. Mungo's. They took him on, but it was under the agreement that he goes back to Hogwarts to get his N.E.W.T.s done for the courses Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts getting an E in all of them. After that, he attended a Muggle medical school in the States.

* * *

As a certified Healer and now an M.D., Harry received a job offer from NCIS. In order to further separate himself from the British Wizarding World, not wanting attention to find him, he asked Minister Shaklebolt to make him a false I.D., and he adopted an American accent.

The two men circled a dead body as Ducky took a breath. "Notice the signs of hematoma on the victim's face and upper torso."

Jimmy nodded, and spoke into the recorder he was holding. "Notice the signs of hematoma on the victim's face and upper torso."

Ducky continued, "He was beaten before he was murdered."

Jimmy repeated, "He was beaten before he was murdered."

Ducky, "Well before."

Jimmy, "Well before."

Taking a deep breath and looking at Jimmy, Ducky simply stared. Jimmy smiled back, ready to move on. Then he got the hint.

He looked at his recorder. "It's bothering you."

The Medical Examiner looked at the recorder. "I was going to suggest you could leave the recorder next to me. That way you don't have to repeat everything I say."

Jimmy chuckled nervously, "Good plan, doctor."

Then he set the recorder next to the dead man's head. Ducky looked down at the body. "Yes, note the variations in color of the bruises. These were inflicted on several different occasions within the past three to four weeks."

Examining the body, Jimmy tuned Ducky out. He hated playing dumb, but he didn't want to give everything away. He was supposed to be fresh, young, and naïve; not war-hardened, and, as everyone says, wise beyond his years.

Ducky spoke on, unaware of his partner's musings. "Additionally, the bruising is not only uniform, but there are no indications of any points of acute trauma."

Then Jimmy's phone went off. He ignored it, and Ducky spoke again only to be interrupted by the phone. "Such as would have occurred from the contact of bare knuckles on unprotected skin. I believe further examination will reveal the victim was a student of the sweet science."

Jimmy's phone continued to go off as they spoke. "Sweet science…" Jimmy echoed.

Ducky elaborated. "A pugilist, if you will."

Jimmy nodded, "He was a boxer!"

Ducky agreed, "Precisely. Well-I, ah... do you want to get that?"

Looking up, sheepish, he asked, "Can I?"

With a nod, the younger man reached for his phone. "Mom?"

When he was out of earshot, he sighed deeply, "Yes, Kingsley?"

A deep voice responded, "Harry, your friends have noticed that they are unable to contact you by owl or Floo."

With a snort he responded, "It only took half a year."

Kingsley made a noise of agreement, "Would you like me to give them your cell phone number?"

Jimmy thought on this for a moment. "No. Tell them where to find me, but I don't want them trying to call me every five minutes."

Kingsley hung up with a short goodbye, and the brunette ran a hand through his dyed hair in frustration.

* * *

As he re-entered the lab, Ducky crossed his arms and asked, "Now, if I was a younger man, I would be more easily fooled. The fact that I am not, means it would take a great feat to hoodwink me. Tell me, Mr. Palmer. Who are you really?"

Jimmy gestured for Ducky to take a seat, which he did. Leaning against the autopsy table where the soldier was, he spoke, "Why, Dr. Mallard, should I tell you?"

Ducky quoted, "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions. You, my boy, have fought against many battalions. More so than a person your ripe age should have."

Jimmy smiled, "I've gained an appreciation for Shakespeare. He has a particular insight into life that only a person like him could convey through sex jokes. Dr. Mallard, I've observed Gibbs, and he seems to be a man of many secrets such as myself. I trust you will keep mine as well as his?"

Dr. Mallard, held up a hand, "You have my word as a proper Englishman."

Harry tousled his own hair, and reverted to his British accent. "Then we'll start at the beginning. I don't want to give everything away, but you'll get the general idea. My name is Harry Pott-"

With a gasp, he was cut off, "I remember you! The boy whose parents were murdered… but you're supposed to be missing."

Harry smiled, "Even in the Muggle world... Have you heard of Hogwarts, or anything odd-sounding like that?"

Ducky nodded slowly, "My niece went there. She's a witch. If I am right, she would have graduated 10 years ago."

Harry tilted his head, "Just out of curiosity, who is your niece?"

Ducky responded, "Luna Lovegood. Bit of an odd girl."

Harry rushed forward and knelt in front of the doctor. "Have you talked to her recently? Luna is… was… one of my best friends!"

Setting a hand on Harry's shoulder, Ducky smiled, "She's exceptional."

Harry smiled, "That makes this a lot easier. I left Britain to come here and study medicine. Left everything behind, and got a new life. I was the boy who fought a war over there, but here I can be clueless James Palmer."

Ducky and Jimmy spent the next few days swapping stories. Ducky about the different places he's treated people, and Jimmy about being a celebrity. They found a lot of common ground.


	2. A Weak Link

_This one is shorter. Sorry about that. But here it is._

* * *

Jimmy finished his coffee as Kate walked in. "We gotta go."

The two of them loaded in their van, and followed Gibbs out to the quarry in silence. They were unloading the van and listened in on the conversation.

They approached the crime scene. "Commander Rainer, Seal Team 8."

Gibbs nodded, "What happened here?"

The two looked up to the top of the ravine. "We were on a training exercise with Lieutenant Johnson, the team leader. He was propelling down the cliff when his D-link snapped."

Making a vague gesture Gibbs looked to the Commander, "Did ya secure the top of the cliff?"

The soldier nodded, "We did."

"What about the rest of Lieutenant Johnson's squad?"

Jimmy turned to the dead Lieutenant, immediately seeing some things wrong. The body had been dragged several feet from where it had hit the ground. Ducky immediately voiced the same concern. "Someone moved the body."

"After he fell his squad members came to his assistance, to see if anything could be done. Unfortunately he… died on impact." Rainer responded.

Ducky persisted. "Well, that would account for a few inches, but someone's moved him further than that."

The soldier continued to brush the medical examiner off, "We pulled him away from the face of the cliff because it was falling shale. It's an old mine. We were careful not to disturb anything."

Ducky looked like he had more to say, as did Jimmy, but they kept silent.

Gibbs brought up another concerning fact, "Was emptying his pockets part of the first-aid effort?"

Again, he had an excuse, "The intel was classified. We removed it so the body could be transported."

Jimmy tuned him out, focusing again on the body. Looking around, he didn't see any chunks of shale that would have warranted moving the body as much as they did. They waited for Kate to finish photographing him before they moved to look at him. Ducky spoke as he put the D-link in an evidence bag, and as Gibbs knelt by his side. "Unfortunately for Lieutenant Johnson, it appears to be just what it looks like."

Gibbs stood, "Well, eliminates the guesswork."

After that shale began to fall from the cliff face, but it was just small pieces. Ducky stood, "Well, I think we can move him. Don't worry, my friend. We'll get you cleaned up and presentable in a way that honors your service."

As Gibbs and Tony entered the lab, Ducky told him their conclusion. "The cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, but he was in horrible shape, Jethro. Lower leg fractures, hip fractures, severe skull fractures. I could go on an-"

"No, no need, Duck." Gibbs interrupted him.

Tony spoke, "Have you sent the blood up to Abby for a full tox screen?"

The two of them glared at Tony, and he scrunched his brow, "Well, that's what you were gonna ask, right?"

Ducky spoke, "The lifetime odds of dying from a fall like this are roughly the equivalent of the odds of dying from a collision with an asteroid."

Gibbs walked to the body. "And?"

Ducky stood beside the body, "Well, what kind of a person would I be if I had this knowledge, and I didn't share it with you?"

Tony spoke again. "That's what you were gonna ask, right? About the tox screen?"

Gibbs just smirked and walked away, followed by Tony. Then Jimmy walked in. Ducky looked up and said, "You're late. Don't make me have second thoughts, Mr. Palmer."

"About what?"

"Hiring you to work with me full-time."

"Oh, I'm sorry Doctor. It will never happen again!"

Ducky raised an eyebrow, "And why were you late, Mr. Palmer?"

Jimmy looked at the lab assistant in the room, and waited until he had left to speak, "I was attacked, and hit with a hex that gives me a cold. It'll go away eventually."

"I hope this won't become a habit, Mr. Palmer." Ducky said as he turned back to the body.

Jimmy shook his head, "It won't, Dr. Mallard… Does this mean I got the job?"

Ducky chuckled, "We'll see about that, Mr. Palmer."

As they performed the autopsy, they chatted and swapped stories about their life. Jimmy told him about going to work at St. Mungo's, and Ducky told him about growing up in Scotland. Ducky spoke softly after they finished, "Mr. Palmer, if I have anything to say about it, you'll be hired full-time."

Jimmy hugged him. "Thank you so much, Dr. Mallard. I want you to meet my friends."

Taking off his gear, Ducky stretched a bit. "If you're sure, Mr. Palmer."

Jimmy nodded, "I am, Doctor. I'll set up a time."

He took out his phone, sending Kingsley a text with his new address so Ron, Hermione, and Neville could send him owls.

"They'll be here later this week. Now. We should see if we can help Gibbs out at all."

The two of them went up to the bullpen to talk to Gibbs, and he told them to go home and get some rest. So naturally, Jimmy went to find the wizards that jumped him. He went back to see if he could find and traces, and couldn't. "I'll just have to wait and see if they try again..."

He spoke to himself, frustrated he couldn't find them. Walking back to his apartment he showered, trying to relax his shoulders and calm his mind. "Why did I invite them?! I left Britain for a reason! Now I'm bringing them back into my life! God, I'm an idiot."

* * *

 _Well, it's shorter... Sorry. But here it is. Tell me what you think!_


End file.
